Greece:
The Classic Wine Tour
April 3–April 11, 2010
$3499 • $3299 Tour alumni • Single supplement $495

What a way to observe Easter 2010! Not only does Greece have everything a wine lover could ask for: wine, cuisine and culture, but to be able to also participate in a village celebration of this important cultural event makes our tour especially significant.

Our tour starts in Athens on April 3 during the
height of the Easter celebration. During the course of our 2 days in Athens, we’ll see many of the traditional highlights such as the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Erechteion and the Temple of Athena Nike. We’ll also participate in a village commemoration of Easter and
have a cooking class at our hotel.

Then we’ll travel to Corinth with its Temple of Apollo and also Mycenae, the capital of gamemnon. That evening we’ll board a modern overnight ferry to Crete. Our home in Crete will be in Heraklion, the capital. We’ll be sure to visit the Archaeological Museum, the world’s fi nest collection of Minoan art. We’ll have winery visits as well as a cooking and pottery demonstration in the village of Thrapsano, famous for its ceramic pots.

The next day we board a high speed boat which
whisks us to the volcanic island of Santorini. During our stay on this magical island we’ll also take a boat excursion to the Caldera which is all that remains ofthe volcanic explosion around 1500BC. The fearless souls who want to will climb to the top and see gases that still emanate from the volcano.

Then we transfer by boat to the mainland for our
fi nal evening in Athens, where we’ll celebrate our farewell dinner in one of the most traditional restaurants in the Old Town. When we depart from Athens airport on April 11, we’ll take with us many fond memories of great wine, food and cultural experiences.

Highlights

• 3 nights Athens 4/3-4. 4/10 • Overnight ferry to Heraklion,Crete 4/5 • 2 nights Heraklion, Crete 4/6-7 • 2 nights Santorini 4/8-9 • 9 sumptuous Greek meals

• Ferry to Santorini • Ferry to Athens • Guided tours • Private deluxe bus

Optional Tour Extension to Turkey
April 11–15, 2010

We’re so close to Turkey that we decided to offer a 5 day extension. Believe it or not, Turkey has wineries and we’ll be able to visit at least 2, in addition to some great sightseeing. This is a unique opportunity to visit this ancient country that may become a member of the European Union. Our visit to Turkey ends on April 15 when you return home...or join Vin on his tour to Piedmont.

Highlights

• 2 nights Canakkale 4/11-12 • 2 nights Istanbul 4/13-14 • Private deluxe bus • Ferry to Bozcaada Island w/lunch at winery

• Guided tour of Istanbul • 5 lunches or dinners • Optional day trip to Ephesus

Piedmont: Home of the 3 B’s: Barolo, Barbaresco & Barbera plus the Cinque Terre
April 16–April 24, 2010

Our last visit to Piedmont was during the Truffle season but now we can celebrate the arrival of Spring in this glorious region of Italy. After arrival in Milan Malpensa on April 16, we transfer to Alba, a beautiful Renaissance town where you can walk to everything and which is our home for 5 nights.

Vin will take us to many of the prestigious wineries of Barolo and Barbaresco and we’ll have many opportunities to experience Piedmontese cuisine, which is Italian with a French dimension.

We’ll fi nish our stay in Italy with 3 glorious nights in Santa Margherita, a seaside gem on the Ligurian coast. From there some brave souls will visit the Cinque Terre, the 5 villages that cling to the hillsides and can be reached by footpath or ferry. When the tour ends on April 24, we’ll fl y out of Genoa airport, hoping to get one last glimpse of this beautiful region of Italy.

Highlights

• 5 nights Alba 4/16-20 • 3 nights Santa Margherita 4/21-23 • 7 gourmet meals • Private deluxe bus

• Guided tour of Alba • VIP visits to top Piedmont wineries • Optional visit to Cinque Terre

The Rhone Valley:
Home of Serious Syrah
October 6–October 14, 2010
$3399 • $3199 Tour alumni • Single supplement $525

The Rhone Valley is a paradise for red wine lovers,
where the Syrah grape reigns supreme. An ocean of wine
is produced from just south of Lyon to Avignon. Trust
Vin to bring us to the best producers and get us some
great VIP visits.

Our tour starts October 6 in Lyon and after orientation we leave the next day for 3 nights in the Valence area, heart of the Northern Rhone Valley. Besides Syrah, the Northern Rhone also produces the Rhone’s famous
white wine-Condrieu from the Viognier grape.

We then proceed south to Avignon for 4 nights in the Southern Rhone. The most famous wine here is Chateauneuf- du-Pape but there are many rising stars such as Gigondas, Vacqueyras and let’s not overlook the best Rosé in France: Tavel.

And as for the other parts of our tour: cuisine and culture, the Rhone Valley is a veritable treasure trove.
With Vin’s guidance, you’ll experience some wonderful examples of French cuisine and culture.

When the tours ends October 14, we’ll transfer to Marseille where we return home ...or join Vin on his Tour of Provence.

Highlights

• 1 night Lyon 10/6 • 3 nights Tain L’Ermitage 10/7-9 • 4 nights Avignon 10/10-13 • 8 gourmet meals

• Private deluxe bus • Guided tour of Avignon • VIP visits to Northern & Southern Rhone wineries • Numerous cultural activities throughout the tour

A Week in Provence and the Languedoc
October 14–October 22, 2010
$3399 • $3199 Tour alumni • Single supplement $450

Peter Mayle made his claim to fame with his book A Year in Provence and after our tour you’ll be well qualifi ed to write your own abridged version of a Week in Provence!

On arrival in Marseille airport October 14, we’ll travel to Aix-en-Provence, our home for 4 nights. Aix is a superb base to visit the heart of Peter Mayle’s territory and besides the winery visits, we’ll have some memorable visits to Gordes and La Source.

Then we move on to Montpellier, in the heart of the Languedoc. The Languedoc is famous for its garrigue landscape which even permeates the olfactory dimensions of the wine.

Vin promises many great memories from this tour to Southern France, but regretfully we leave from Montpellier
airport on October 22.

Highlights